Remote controlled traverse assembly

ABSTRACT

An enclosed motor-driven hanger is disclosed having opposing knurled drive and idler wheels that engage on opposite sides of a track whereby a load can be carried along the track or the leading edge of a curtain can be moved to an open or closed position along the track through rotation of the drive wheel. In one embodiment the idler wheels are spring loaded and mounted on a wobble plate while the drive wheel is fixed. In another embodiment the drive wheel is adjustably spring mounted and the idler wheels are on fixed axes. In either embodiment, the track carries spaced insulated conductors, the motor mount has sliding, electrical contacts that engage the conductors and the assembly is adapted to traverse curved, horizontal or inclined tracks with facility and underload. Provision is made for ready adjustment of the tension on the compression force upon the track by the opposing drive and idler wheels, instant fingertip release from the track as desired, and easy disassembly for repair or replacement of parts. Vertically oriented tracks having curved sections can also be traversed with facility by the unit.

United States Patent [72] Inventor CharlesA.Shayman 1130 So. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. 60605 [21] AppLNo. 65,220

Aug. 19, 1970 Nov. 16, 1971 [22] Filed [45] Patented I54] REMOTE CONTROLLED TRAVERSE ASSEMBLY 714,959 8/1965 Canada 49/358 Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun Attorney-Harbaugh and Thomas ABSTRACT: An enclosed motor-driven hanger is disclosed having opposing knurled drive and idler wheels that engage on opposite sides of a track whereby a load can be carried along the track or the leading edge of a curtain can be moved to an open or closed position along the track through rotation of the drive wheel. In one embodiment the idler wheels are spring loaded and mounted on a wobble plate while the drive wheel is fixed. In another embodiment the drive wheel is adjustably spring mounted and the idler wheels are on fixed axes. ln either embodiment, the track carries spaced insulated conductors. the motor mount has sliding, electrical contacts that engage the conductors and the assembly is adapted to traverse curved, horizontal or inclined tracks with facility and underload. Provision is made for ready adjustment of the tension on the compression force upon the track by the opposing drive and idler wheels, instant fingertip release from the track as desired, and easy disassembly for repair or replacement of parts. Vertically oriented tracks having curved sections can also be traversed with facility by the unit.

PATENTEDunv 16 I971 SHEET 1 [IF 4 FIG. 4

INVE/V TOR.

CHARLES ,4. SHAY/WAN By V flamw Attorneys PATENTEUuuv 16|97| 3.620.284

sum u 0F 4 INVENTOR CHARLES A. SHAY/VAN Afrbrneys REMOTE CONTROLLED TRAVERSE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Motor drawn curtain supporting apparatus are known in the art. These include motor units, tracks, driven drums, rollers and supporting wheels. In one prior art device the wheels ride on the bottom reversed flange wall of a track while the rollers ride on tne under surface of a rubber strip attached to the track. The drive drum engages the notched rubber strip and is urged into contact with the strip means of a spring and is pivotally mounted to accomplish this purpose. In other devices a drive roller and pinch roller are used. Parallel straight sliding shoe contacts to pickup the electrical power from spaced conductors along a track are also known.

Although the prior art devices function properly there are problems presented in their design which have detracted from their commercial acceptability. It is highly desirable that the drive relationship with the track be positive without the wear or noise that results from any sliding action of the driven parts. The use of rubber or notched tracks to increase the drive friction and allow the device to carry heavy drapes or screen-type curtains has proven to be very unsatisfactory requiring frequent replacement of the track and drive parts. Also, the prior art devices require a straight track and are not adapted to manipulate curves such as may be used in communications or in institutions where isolation of a portion of a room around a patient may be desirable. The prior art devices do not provide positive drive action under all conditions of use or abuse and are not easily assembled or disassembled. It is advantageous that the drive unit be enclosed and free of external moving parts that may engage the load being carried, or the curtain folds or lead to leaking of lubricant and the like upon the curtain.

The instant invention has as its objective the provision of a remote controlled traverse assembly for use in carrying a load along a track for use as a curtain carrier or the like, which overcomes these and related problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates primarily to the mounting and enclosure of the drive wheel and a pair of idler wheels as a unit for attachment to and on opposite sides of an elongated supporting track wherein the drive and idler wheels are both spring biased and pivoted about at least one axis so that positive drive action against the track is attained with no slippage on both straight sections and curved sections of the track in either direction of travel. The drive wheel and idler wheels are constructed of a metal that is harder than the track, the latter being formed of a permanently deformable material, so that each make their own indentations in the track and provide positive nonslipping, noiseless drive action. In one embodiment the idler wheels are carried by a wobble plate which is pivotally and slideably mounted at a point or seat intermediate the ends. The plate in turn is held against the pivot by spaced compression springs which seat upon a backing plate having an adjustable mounting. In another embodiment the motor, shaft and drive wheel are mounted on a wobble plate assembly, supported upon a base plate, that allows direct resilient driving contact with the track on one side and against idler wheels on the other side that are mounted on fixed shafts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the back side of a drive unit engaged upon a section of track, the latter being only partially shown;

FIG. 2 is a partial section of the track taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the unit with parts of the drive wheel, drive shaft. motor and reduction gear shown in broken lines;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the idler wheel mounting used in FIGS. l-6;

FIG. 8 is a side plan view of another embodiment of the invention wherein the drive wheel is resiliently mounted;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 10- 10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective exploded view of the base plate and yoke member;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view to show the position of the parts in driving relationship along a straight section of track;

FIG. 14 is a partially diagrammatic view to show the position of the parts in driving relationship along an inside curved track; and

FIG. 15 is a partially diagrammatic view to show the position of the parts in driving relationship along an outside curved track.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The drawings shown an illustrative embodiment of the traverse assembly adapted for use in moving a load such as a foldable curtain or the like along a substantially horizontal track having any desired linear and curved configuration. As the description proceeds it will become apparent the traverse assembly can be used in connection with a wise variety of applications involving movement of parts on a prescribed path by remote control.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. I shows the track member 10 having suitable mounting brackets 12 spaced therealong for attachment and suspension of the track 10 from the ceiling of a room in any desired planar configuration such as across the opening between room partitions around a hospital bed in a generally U-shaped pattern from a sidewall or in a complete circle around a stage or operating table. The track 10 can have curved portions 14 and 16 defining either an outside or inside curve the radius of which can be about 6 inches as a minimum. The track 10 has the top double flange 18, the flat thicker body portion 20, having the outer generally planar track surface 21 defined between the upper and lower reversed and opposed retainer flanges 22 and 24 and the inner track surface 25. The horizontal track 26 inside the lower retainer flange 24 provides a running surface for the rollers of the curtain hangers 27, of known design. For this purpose the hook member 28 would be provided to engage the curtain top.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in particular, the remote controlled traverse assembly is seen to be a self-contained enclosed unit, with the housing 30 provided in two parts. namely the front or outside cover member 32 and the back or inside member 34, each fabricated of metal or plastic, as desired, in box-type flat-wall configurations with their open-faced edges abutting along the conforming juncture or edge 36. An inturned flange 37 (FIG. 5) is provided along the juncture 36 of both the cover 32 and the back 34 to facilitate assembly. The cover member 32 and the back member 34 are suitably held together as a unit by the screws 38 engaging through the back cover into suitable tabs (not shown) affixed to the interior of the front member in a known manner.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sidewalls on each side at the top of the front cover 32 are suitably notched or cut away at 40 and the sidewalls on each side, at the top of the back cover 34 are suitably notched or cut away at 42 to provide an access opening 44 (FIG. 4) through which the track 10 passes. A pair of integral brackets 46 and 48, which may be of any desired configuration, are provided and attached to or made a part of the cover member 32 for the purpose of carrying the curtain therearound and at the same time covering the unit from view from that side. The bracket 46 would carry the leading edge of the curtain. The holes 50 are for the purpose of attaching the curtain hooks or similar mounting means supporting the leading top comer edge of the curtain. The brackets are offset sufficiently to bring the curtain around the housing 30 and into the plane of the track or more exactly in a plane under the track surface 26 for the curtain hooks.

The housing 341 provides essentially dust-free protection for the motor drive 51 and gear reduction unit 52 (shown in broken lines in FIG. 3) which is suitably mounted therein to rotatably support and drive the drive shaft 54 which is attached to the drive wheel 60. The motor and gear reduction unit 52 are adapted to drive the drive wheel at about 12.5 to 48 r.p.m. so that the unit and its load, depending on the diameter of drive wheel used, traverse the track 10 at about /2 to 1 ft. per second. A drive wheel 1% inch O.D. rotating at 47 r.p.m. produces a travel rate of about A ft./sec.

The device is adapted for use with available combinations of motor 51 and gear reduction unit 52 so that the torque and speed are subject to control and the unit will handle both light and heavy weight curtains with equal facility.

Removal of the screws 38 allows the cover 32 and the back 34 to be separated from each other and the entire drive and motor unit to be removed. FIG. 7 is a view of the drive and motor unit, with the drive wheel 60 removed, illustrating that the housing of the gearbox 52 carries a top or base plate 66, suitably and rigidly attached thereto by means of the screws 68. The opposite edges 70 and 71 of the plate 68 are slideably engaged by and rest upon the top notched edges 72 of the opposite flanges 37 provided in the back member 34. Sufficient clearance for the assembly is provided for the entire idler wheel assembly 74 carried by the plate 66 to slide under the top 64 of the back cover 34 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The drive shaft 54 extends through and is circumferentially spaced from the borehole 76 in the plate 66 and supports at its upper end the drive wheel 60 above the plate 66 so that the knurled or toothed surface 78 thereof extends into one side of the opening 44 provided by the cutouts 40-42 in each side of the assembled cover. In this position the drive wheel comes into driving contact with the drive surface 21 of the track 10.

At the back edge 79 of the plate 66 there is provided as a part thereof, the upstanding tab or flange member 80 the top edge of which is spaced from underside of the wall 64 of the back member. The flange 80 is of lesser width than the plate 66 and is provided with the threaded borehole 82 that is adapted to engage the threaded shank 84 of the adjusting Allen screw 86, having the knurled head as illustrated with the hexagon-shaped blind bore to receive an Allen wrench.

The subassembly 74 includes the elongated backplate 90 having the smooth bore 92 (FIG. 6) intermediate its ends 94. The backplate 90 is longer than the flange 30 but is shorter than the width of the plate 66 so that the ends 94 are spaced inside the back cover 34. The ends of the backplate 90 are spaced inside the back cover 34. The ends of the backplate 90 have the pair of basses 96, one at each end 94, having the recesses 98 therein to receive one end of each of the coil springs 100. The head of the Allen screw 86 is larger than the smooth bore 92 in which the threaded shank 84 rotates, so that its internal shoulder 102 engages against the outside periphery of the backplate around the bore 92. I1 turn, the back cover 34 has the axially aligned bore 104 that is larger than the head of the Allen screw 86 so that when assembled the head protrudes therethrough for easy finger access and adjustment as will be described. The inner portion 106 of the backplate 90 between the bosses 96 is thinner and slightly wider than the flange 80 as to provide a clearance space 108 (FIG. 4) therebetween the normal position of adjustment of the unit.

Coaxial with the recesses 98 on each end of the backplate 90 the threaded bores 110 (FIG. 7) are provided and the back cover has a pair of boreholes I12 therethrough that align with the bores 110 so that the top screws 38 engage therein and secure the backplate to the inside of the back cover, and at the same time secure the smooth bore 92 thereof as fixed bearing for the Allen screw 86.

The idler wheel assembly has the wobble plate or wobble housing 114 having a generally U-shaped cross section provided by the backwall 116, the top plate 118 and the bottom plate 120 (see FIG. 6) all formed into an integral unit. The backwall 116 has the recess 122 therein and located coaxially with the threaded shank 84 of the Allen screw so that adequate clearance is provided for adjustment. Also the backwall 116 has the pair of recesses 124, one at each end, to receive the opposite ends of the coil springs 100. The recesses 98 and 124 are coaxially located on each side of the assembly so that the coil springs abut squarely therein. The backwall 116 has an extension 126 at each end which is bent outwardly to form the finger tabs 128, which tabs extend out through the opening 44 provided by the cutout 42 in the back cover 34.

The top and bottom plates I18 and are spaced from each other to provide a housing to receive the pair of idler wheels 1341 and 132 each rotatably mounted on the respective shafts 134 and 136 that are press-fitted through suitable and aligned bores in the spaced plates. The idler wheels rotate freely in the shafts and are closely spaced top and bottom between the plates. A suitable enlarged shoulder as indicated at 138 in relation to the pin 134 can be provided for both pins to serve as a bearing and maintain the free rotation of both the idler wheels thereon. The shafts 134 and 136 lie in the same plane and carry the idler wheels which are identical in such a manner that their knurled, serrated or gearlike surfaces 140 extend beyond the internal edge 142 of the bottom plate and beyond the internal edge 144 of the top plate, as more clearly shown in FIG. 5. The edge 142 clears the track 10 at all times.

It has been observed that the bottom plate 120 of the wobble housing 114 extends further inwardly, or toward the track 10, than the top plate 118. The top plate has the elongated open ended notch 146 therein while the bottom plate has the elongated slot 148 therein (best seen in FIG. 5) in vertical alignment with each other. Because of the differences in the width of these two plates, the slot 148 is longer than the notch 146. The slot and notch are axially aligned with the Allen screw 86, but in respective planes above and below this axis. The plate 66 carries the upright pivot pin 150 having the shank 152 that engages a suitable borehole in the plate 66. The pin 150 can have an enlarged head as illustrated and the shank portion extends through and is guidable and slideably engaged by the aligned slot and notch ofthe wobble plate 114. Under the bias of the springs 100 the wobble plate 114 is maintained against the pin 150 with the pin engaging the contiguous rearmost curved ends of the slot and notch which register with one another. By this construction it is seen that the wobble plate 14 carries the pair of idler wheels 130 and 132 on parallel axes on each side of the pivot pin 150 and that with the backplate 40 secured on the assembly the springs 100 resist the rotation of the whole plate about the axis of the pin 150 and also resist linear movement along the axis of the slot and notch. This combined rotational linear motion is illustrated by the arrows B (rotational or pivotal) and the arrow C (linear) in FIG. 4, and as a result curved sections of track (14 and 16) are easily negotiated.

The motor 51 is preferably a frictional horsepower reversible DC motor and may be of the AC reversing type operating on low voltage that is safe to use where exposed contacts are necessary. For this purpose, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the track 10 is provided with the electrical insulating strip 152, which may be copper or aluminum, suitably attached as by means of an adhesive to the inside track surface 25 in a plane above that engaged by the idler wheels 130 and 132. To this strip there is attached the pair of spaces strip conductors 154 and 156. The insulator strip 152 and the conductors extend along that portion or all of the track 10 along which the unit 10 is to traverse. The conductor strips are suitably connected at one end to the above-mentioned source of stepdown voltage current, as for example a harmless 12 volt DC source, to provide suitable power for the motor 51.

Means are provided to pick up the current supplied by these conductor strips. The wobble plate (see FIG. 7) has the insulator blocks 158 attached to the top plate 118 by the screws 160. The blocks 158 carry embedded therein, the arcuate spring pickup conductors 162 and 164 that are arched toward each other in spaced horizontal planes, one above the other, in the same spacing as the elongated strip conductors 154 and 156. Thus, in the assembled condition, the lower pickup 162 slides upon conductor 156 and the upper pickup 164 slides upon the conductor 154 and each is slightly compressed thereby. The arcuate pickups 162 and 164 are also sufficiently resilient to maintain contact with the power conductors 154 and 156 as curves are negotiated by the unit. The embedded portions of the arcuate conductors 162 and 164 are insulated from each other and from the wobble plate and suitable insulated wires 165 are attached to each conductor and lead to the motor 51.

From this description, the ease of assembly and disassembly of the traverse assembly for repair is also apparent. The two cover halves 32 and 34 come apart from removal of the screws 38 and the entire assembly is exposed. The baseplate 66 rests within the two halves of the housing so that the assembly is supported front and rear and hang on the edge 72 by means of the engagement of the under edge of the plate 66 thereon. The motor 51 and the gearbox 52 are spaced from the housing. The threaded holes 110 in the backplate 90 align with the holes 112 in the wall so that these parts fit together easily. In the assembled condition the pair of tabs 128 protrude sufficiently from the side openings 44 to be engaged by the index fingers of each hand and a pull against the back of the wall 34 with the thumbs retracts the wobble plate assembly 114. To facilitate this the thumb tabs 166 are provided, so that a direct pull against the bias of the springs can be obtained. The wobble plate need only be withdrawn sufficiently to allow the drive wheel to clear the flange 24. When placed in the operative position on the track 10, the idler wheels engage the surface 25 below the strip 156, while the drive wheel engages the surface 21.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is to be seen that the drive wheel 60 is not exactly opposite to or coplanar with the idler wheels 130-132. Although these wheels can be coplanar, that is, exactly opposite each other on opposite sides of the track surfaces 21-25 and also be of the same axial thickness so that the vertical contact surface of their peripheries is about the same, a slight offset cocks the unit slightly, increases the traction and the tendency to creep from the axis of the track is eliminated.

By providing the track with permanently deformable surfaces 21-25, as by making the track from aluminum alloys such as ASTM 6063 T5 or the equivalent and using coldrolled steel, or quarter hard steel, with or without heat treatment as the metal for the idler and drive wheels, they cut or impress their own track in the track surfaces 21-25. The roughened surfaces 140 of the idler wheels and the roughened surfaces 78 of the drive wheel can be knurled, serrated or formed with gear teeth thereon like a planatory gear with or without a slope or pitch to the teeth. Preferably, and for the purpose of true orientation of the unit on the track without contacting the flange 24, the drive wheel is formed with a plurality of serrations or straight teeth in the surface 78, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, another and preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed which is closely related to that just described. In this embodiment, the relationship of the parts has been reversed so that the idler wheels are mounted on stationary axes while the drive wheel, reduction gear and motor are mounted on a wobble plate. In the following description some of the parts are similar and will be referred to by the same numerals as used in FIGS. 1-7.

In this embodiment the metal or plastic box 170 is provided to house the reduction gear unit 52 suitably connected to the drive shaft 54 to which the drive wheel 60 is attached for rotation therewith. The motor drive is mounted below the reduction gear unit 52 as in FIG. 3. The housing 170 has the sidewalls 172 and 174 and the front and rear walls 176 and 178 with an enclosing bottom wall 180. The top of the housing 170 is open and the sidewalls 172 and 174 are cutaway or notched at 182 to provide an access opening for the track 10. The opening so provided extends into the wall 178 so that this wall is shorter than the front wall 176 (see FIG. 10).

A rectangular bearing plate 184 extends from the front side into and across the open top of the housing 170 with its bottom surface resting on the top edge 186 of the wall 178. The bearing plate 184 is longer than the distance between the walls 176 and 178 of the housing 170 and extends over the edge 186. The bearing plate has an upstanding flange 188 on this extended end that extends across and between the side edges 200 of the plate and also has the rear upstanding tab 202 at the midpoint of the opposite edge 204.

The bearing plate 184 has the elongated boss 206 on and across the extended end, spaced inside the flange 188 to which are mounted the idler wheels and 132 by means of the fixed axles or pins 208 and 210. The idler wheels 130 and 132 are free to rotate upon the axles 208 and 210 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 but the idler wheels are fixed in relation to the bearing plate 184.

A cover member 212 having the top wall 214, the end wall 216 and the bottom wall 218 with enclosing sidewalls 220 and 222 encases the extended end of the bearing plate 184 and the flange 188 and a portion of the idler wheels 130 and 132. In order to expose the periphery of the idler wheels and also provide the space for reception of the track 10, the top wall 214 of the cover member 212 and the sidewalls 220 and 222 are of lesser depth than the bottom wall 218. The screw 224 holds the cover member 212 upon the bearing plate 184 and against the upright flange 188 in the manner sown.

The bearing plate 184 has the central opening 226 which receives and is larger than the drive shaft 54 and two or more other openings 228 spaced from the central opening 226. The details of the bearing plate are shown in FIG. 11.

In this embodiment the motor, reduction gear, drive shaft and drive wheel are all carried or suspended by the wobble plate 230. The wobble plate 230 is above and slideably supported upon the bearing plate 184. The gear reduction unit 52 and the motor are supported from the wobble plate 230 by means of the screws 232 that extend through suitable countersunk holes 234 in the wobble plate through and spaced from the several enlarged holes 228 of the bearing plate into the casing of the gear reduction unit 52. For stability at least three screws 232 in spaced relationship are used for this suspension. The tops of the screws clear the drive wheel 60 on the periphery for easy access with a screwdriver.

The wobble plate 230 can have any desired planar configuration and as illustrated has a generally triangular shape with an apex 230 spaced from the upstanding tab 202 at the front of the unit, as indicated by the space 238. The other two corners of the wobble plate have outwardly extending flat ears 240 from which extend the upstanding tabs 242. The tabs 242 lie in a plane between the drive shaft 54 and the idler wheels 130-132. These tabs can have the finger extensions 243 which serve the same purpose as the tabs 128 (FIG. 1). The drive wheel 60 is supported upon the drive shaft 54 and spaced above the top surface of the wobble plate 230 as illustrated in FIG. 10. A suitable press-titted bushing 244 holds the drive wheel 60 to the shaft 54. The wobble plate 230 has a suitable bore 246 to receive the shaft 54 therethrough.

To the front of the unit and spaced above the bearing plate 184, there is provided the yoke member 250 (FIG. 11) which is U-shaped with the flattened base or apex 252 intermediate the out-turned tabs 254 at the ends. The tabs 254 have round seats 256 on one side which are received in the circular ends of the pair of coil springs 100. Similarly the upstanding tabs 242 on the wobble plate 184 each have round seats 258 to receive the other ends of the coil springs 100. The entire assembly including the cover 212, the base plate 184, the idler wheels 130-132, the wobble plate 230, the drive wheel 60, the reduction gearbox 54 and the yoke 250 are pivotally attached to the housing 170 by means of the bolt 260 which extends through the front wall 176 of the housing into the flat base 252 of the yoke 250, and into the upstanding tab 202 of the bearing plate through suitable boreholes. The shank 262 of the bolt 260 is threaded and engages the tab 202 by means of a threaded borehole 264 therein and a spring lockwasher 266 is provided between the flat base 252 and the tab 202. The boss 268, affixed to and part of the wall 176 serves as a spacer and support for the pivotal parts. By these means the entire baseplate 184 is pivoted upon the bolt 260 and boss 262 at the area of contact between the boss and the flat base 252 so as to be moveable slightly along the path of the arrow D (FIG. 9). This movement is provided by the space 270 between each side of the bearing plate 184 and the interior surface of the walls 172 and 174. In addition, the wobble plate 230, with the attached drive wheel 60 and the entire reduction gearbox and motor drive, are resiliently and pivotally mounted in relation to the baseplate or housing 170 by means of the springs 100 as indicated by the arrows E and F (see FIG. 9).

To complete the assembly the front cover member 272 is included which has a slotted opening in the front wall 272 whereby it is attached and engaged by the head of the bolt 268. The sidewalls 276 of the front cover 272 extend outside of the walls 172 and 174 only sufiiciently to cover this part of the unit and the inner edges 27$ are spaced from the inner edges 280 of the rear cover 212 so that space is provided for the track 10.

Also the insulated wires 165 leading to the motor are attached to the arcuate sliding contacts 162 (lower) and 164 (upper) as previously described in relation to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-7 and the ends are embedded in and supported by the insulating blocks 282 carried by the downtumed ears 284 that are part of and extend from the tabs 242. The arcuate contacts 162 and 164 are formed of metal, such as copper or an alloy such as bronze, in order to be good conductors while at the same time have sufficient strength and resiliency to retain their arcuate shape and bias against the strips 154 and 156 on the track 10 for continuous contact. The screws 160 that hold the blocks 282 to the ears 284 can be loosened, the blocks 282 turned or pivoted slightly thereon, to adjust the tension of the contacts 162-164 on the strips 154-156.

Although the invention is described in relation to a remote controlled curtain hanger, it is apparent that the motor-driven traverse assembly can be used in other applications wherein it is desired to provide a motive force along a track for any desired purpose. The device of this invention can be used in communications, in apparatus for moving parts through reactions or processes, to control switching mechanism, to send messages through inaccessible passageways, to open and close valves, or circuits, and any of a large variety of operation where remote control of linear or curved motion is desired. The traverse assembly of this invention has the advantage of being able to carry a load and move relatively heavy parts with the same facility as it carries light loads and all movements, whether linear or on a curved path are executed with precision since there is no lost motion in the drive relationship and stopping and starting can be precisely executed.

The unique pivotal action of the traverse assembly shown in FIG. 8-12 is shown in FIG. 13 wherein the unit is shown traversing a straight portion of track. The drive wheel 60 is turning counterclockwise and under the torque of the drive and load the plate 184 is free to pivot slightly through the clearance space 270 provided by the housing 170 while the support means for the drive wheel are substantially centered in the clearance spaces 228. These relationships are exaggerated in the drawings for clarity.

In FIG. 14 the unit is shown upon a track with the drive wheel 60 in the inside of the curve. The resultant of the pivot angles E and F is indicated by the arrow EF as the wobble plate and drive wheel are moved into the inside curve while retaining the idler wheels against the outside of the track. Depending upon the torque or load the plate 184 may pivot along the direction D relation to the housing, which supports the load, at least momentarily through the space 270 and maintain frictional contact with the track without binding, grabbing or any lost motion. FIG. 15 shows the relationship of these parts as the unit negotiates an outside curve in relation to the drive wheel. Here the resultant pivot action EF is in the opposite direction and the same smooth drive action of the unit upon the track is obtained. Experiments have indicated that the unit has a tendency to cant slightly about the angle represented by D even on a straight section of track and without a load. During use the hardened axially oriented teeth on either the drive or roller wheels form a loosely conforming track in the sides of the track 10 which increases the traction efiiciency of the drive.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track having outwardly facing track surfaces, the combination of:

a drive wheel adapted to contact the surface of one side of said track in driving relationship;

a pair of idler wheels adapted to engage the opposite side of said track at contact surfaces spaced longitudinally of said track on either side of the surface of contact of said drive wheel,

resilient means urging said drive and idler wheels into opposing compression contact against said track; and

means pivotally and slideably mounting said resilient means in a plane normal to said track surfaces whereby said drive wheels and said idler wheels are resiliently movable in relation to each other, and thereby accommodate therebctween both curved and straight portions of said track in either direction of travel.

2. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 including in combination:

a track having a body portion defining outwardly facing track surfaces engaged by and between said opposing drive and idler wheels,

said track surface opposite said drive wheel being formed of a yieldable permanently deformable material; and

the peripheral contacting surface of said drive wheel being roughened and composed of a nonyielding material suffciently harder than said opposing track surface whereby to embed therein and produce a conforming nonslipping deformed surface of rolling contact.

3. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which:

said roughened surface comprises a series of transverse scrrations across the curved surface of said drive wheel.

4. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which:

said pivotally mounted means comprises a wobble plate carrying said drive wheel upon a rotatable axis;

plate means slideably supporting said wobble plate in a plane normal to aid track surfaces;

a fixed pivot engaged by said wobble path with said resilient means biasing said wobble plate in a plane normal to said track surfaces and on opposite sides of said fixed pivot point; and

adjusting means to vary the bias of said resilient means against said wobble plate and against said pivot.

5. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which:

said pivotally mounted means comprises a wobble plate carrying said idler wheels upon spaced axes,

plate means slideably supporting said wobble plate in a plane normal to said track surfaces;

a fixed pivot carried by said plate means and engaged by said wobble plate intermediate the axes of said idler wheels; and

adjusting means to vary the bias of said resilient means against said wobble plate and against said pivot.

6. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 including:

a track having a pair of elongated conductor strips mounted in spaced insulated relationship from each other along said track surface, said conductor strips being connectable at one end to a source of electric power;

a pair of arcuate spaced sliding contacts carried by said pivotal means;

each of said contacts having a portion of its arcuate length biased against one of said conductor strips, in sliding relationship, said contacts being connectable to a motor drive for said drive wheel.

7. A motor-driven traverse assembly for a foldable curtain and for operation upon and along an elongated track having outwardly facing track surfaces including:

housing means to contain said assembly;

a drive wheel adapted to contact said track surface in driving relationship;

a pair of idler wheels adapted to engage the other side of said track surface in guiding relationship;

said idler wheels contacting said other wise of said track surface at contact areas spaced longitudinally of said track on either side of the contact area of said drive wheel;

resilient means carried by said housing urging said drive and idler wheels into opposing compression contact in relation to each other against said track surfaces; and

means pivotally mounting said resilient means with said housing whereby said drive wheel and said idler wheels are resiliently movable in relation to each other and thereby accommodate therebetween both curved and straight portions of said track.

8. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 in which:

said drive wheel is mounted on a fixed rotatable axis within said housing:

said pivotal mounting comprises a wobble plate having an elongate slotted opening intermediate its ends with a longitudinal axis of said opening being substantially opposite the axis of said drive wheel;

said idler wheels being rotatably mounted on axes at the respective ends of said wobble plate;

a fixed pivot pin engaging within said slotted opening; and

said resilient means comprises a pair of compression members engaged between the ends of said wobble plate and said housing urging said wobble plate along the axis of said slotted opening toward said drive wheel.

9. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 including in combination:

a track having an outwardly facing track surface formed of permanently yieldable material; and

said drive wheel engaging said track surface is provided with a roughened peripheral surface composed of a material sufficiently harder than said track surface whereby rolling contact of said drive wheel therewith produces a conforming deformed roughened surface on said track.

10. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 including in combination;

a track having outwardly facing track surfaces formed of permanently yieldable material; and

said drive and idler wheels are provided with roughened peripheral surfaces composed of a material sufficiently harder than said track surfaces whereby rolling contact of said wheels therewith produces a conforming deformed roughened nonslip rolling surface on both sides of said track.

11. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 10 in which:

the roughened surface of said drive wheel comprises a series of transverse serrations across the curved surface of said drive wheel.

12. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track member having outwardly facing track surfaces with vertically spaced conduchousing means to contain said assembly for traverse upon said track and having an access opening in the sides and top to receive said track;

plate means within said housing and extending across and under said opening and normal to the plane of said track surfaces; a drive wheel supported by said plate means, said drive wheel presenting its peripheral surface at one side of said opening;

electric motor drive means supported under said plate means to rotate said drive wheel;

pivot means carried by said plate means and diametrically spaced from said drive wheel on the other side of said opening;

a wobble plate slideably supported upon said plate means and having an elongated slot between its ends and encompassing said pivot means;

the longitudinal axes of said slot being substantially normal to the plane of said track surfaces;

a pair of spaced idler wheels carried by said wobble plate on opposite sides of said pivot means and with their peripheral surfaces in a plane spaced opposite to the plane of the peripheral surface of said drive wheel;

a pair of compression members mounted between said wobble plate and said housing, and urging said wobble plate against said pivot means;

the normal distance between the peripheral surfaces of said drive and idler wheels with said wobble plate against said pivot means being less than the transverse distance between the outwardly facing track surfaces whereby said track is receivable between the drive and idler wheels against the bias of said compression members;

a pair of arcuate spaced sliding contacts carried by said wobble plate;

each of said contacts having a portion of its arcuate length biased against one of said conductor strips on said track, in sliding relationship, and the other ends of said contacts being connected to said motor drive.

13. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 in which:

said wobble plate includes spaced walls housing said idler wheels with their peripheries extending beyond the edges of said walls toward one side of said access opening,

said elongated slot is provided in said spaced walls to cooperatively receive said pivot means therethrough,

a backplate supported by said housing and spaced from said wobble plate,

opposed aligned recesses in said backplate and said wobble plate,

a pair of compression springs retained between said recesses,

an upstanding tab on said plate means and spaced intermediate said springs, and

screw means rotatably mounted through said housing engaging said wobble plate and adapted to extend and retract said wobble plate in relation to said track.

14. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 including:

a slotted opening on each side of said housing communicating with said access opening,

a pair of finger tabs extending from opposite sides of said wobble plate and through said slotted openings, whereby said wobble plate and idler wheels are movable to a released position from said track.

15. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 including:

a track member having outwardly facing track surfaces formed of permanently yieldable aluminum alloy material, and

said drive and idler wheels are composed of steel and have serrated peripheral surfaces harder than said aluminum track surfaces whereby rolling contact of said wheels with said track forms a conforming nonslip rolling surface on both sides of said track.

16. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in actor strips therealong connected to a power source comprising: cordance with claim 12 in which:

said housing means comprises a pair of juxtapositioned housings, joined at conforming edges, and

a portion of said edges is adapted to support said plate means intermediate its ends at said juncture.

17. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track member having outwardly facing track surfaces with vertically spaced conductor strips therealong connected to a power source comprising:

housing means having an open top and an access opening through spaced sidewalls to receive said track and a supporting edge along an adjacent intermediate well,

plate means within and enclosing said open top of said housing means and engaged by said supporting edge,

one end of said plate means having an upstanding tab between said spaced walls and spaced from a wall opposite said supporting edge, the other end of said plate means extending beyond said supporting edge,

a clearance opening in said plate means intermediate its end and communicating with the lower interior of said housmg,

a wobble plate slideably supported upon said plate means over said opening,

a motor drive, drive shaft and drive wheel supported within said housing by said wobble plate by fastening means extending through said clearance opening, said drive wheel being mounted above said wobble plate with its periphery extending into said access opening for said track and with said motor drive below said plate means within said housmg,

the opening in said plate means being around said fastening means and said shaft and the edges of said plate means being clearance spaced from the sidewalls of said housmg,

a pair of tab members on said wobble plate in a plane between said drive shaft and the periphery of said wheel on the track side thereof,

a tab member on said plate means substantially aligned with said drive shaft,

a yieldable support member extending from said housing opposite said tab member,

a bifurcated yoke member attached to said support member at its apex and having its ends in a plane on the other side of said drive shaft, said ends being opposite and spaced from the tab members of said wobble plate,

compression spring members supported between said opposed tabs, and

a pair of idler wheels rotatably carried by said plate member on its extended end outside said housing opposite said access opening and with their peripheral surfaces substantially aligned with and spaced on each side of the peripheral surface of said drive wheel,

whereby said drive and idler wheels accommodate therebetween under the bias of said spring members and the clearance opening of said plate means both curved and straight portions of said track in either direction of travel,

and electrical contacts carried by said wobble plate and adapted to contact said spaced conductors on said track member.

18. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 17 in which:

said clearance opening in said plate means is essentially circular and the clearance space between said plate means and said housing is linear and dimensionally less than the diametric space of said clearance opening.

19. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 18 in which said electrical contacts are arcuate and mounted from said wobble plate in vertically spaced relationship with their arcuate lengths in opposite directions. 

1. In a motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track having outwardly facing track surfaces, the combination of: a drive wheel adapted to contact the surface of one side of said track in driving relationship; a pair of idler wheels adapted to engage the opposite side of said track at contact surfaces spaced longitudinally of said track on either side of the surface of contact of said drive wheel, resilient means urging said drive and idler wheels into opposing compression contact against said track; and means pivotally and slideably mounting said resilient means in a plane normal to said track surfaces whereby said drive wheels and said idler wheels are resiliently movable in relation to each other, and thereby accommodate therebetween both curved and straight portions of said track in either direction of travel.
 2. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 including in combination: a track having a body portion defining outwardly facing track surfaces engaged by and between said opposing drive and idler wheels, said track surface opposite said drive wheel being formed of a yieldable permanently deformable material; and the peripheral contacting surface of said drive wheel being roughened and composed of a nonyielding material sufficiently harder than said opposing track surface whereby to embed therein and produce a conforming nonslipping deformed surface of rolling contact.
 3. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which: said roughened surface comprises a series of transverse serrations across the curved surface of said drive wheel.
 4. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which: said pivotally mounted means comprises a wobble plate carrying said drive wheel upon a rotatable axis; plate means slideably supporting said wobble plate in a plane normal to aid track surfaces; a fixed pivot engaged by said wobble path with said resilient means biasing said wobble plate in a plane normal to said track surfaces and on opposite sides of said fixed pivot point; and adjusting means to vary the bias of said resilient means against said wobble plate and against said pivot.
 5. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which: said pivotally mounted means comprises a wobble plate carrying said idler wheels upon spaced axes, plate means slideably supporting said wobble plate in a plane normal to said track surfaces; a fixed pivot carried by said plate means and engaged by said wobble plate intermediate the axes of said idler wheels; and adjusting means to vary the bias of said resilient means against said wobble plate and against said pivot.
 6. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 1 including: a track having a pair of elongated conductor strips mounted in spaced insulated relationship from each other along said track surface, said conductor strips being connectable at one end to a source of electric power; a pair of arcuate spaced sliding contacts carried by said pivotal means; each of said contacts having a portion of its arcuate length biased against one of said conductor strips, in sliding relationship, said contacts being connectable to a motor drive for said drive wheel.
 7. A motor-driven traverse assembly for a foldable curtain and for operation upon and along an elongated track having outwardly facing track surfaces including: housing means to contain said assembly; a drive wheel adapted to contact said track surface in driving relationship; a pair of idler wheels adapted to engage the other side of said track surface in guiding relationship; said idler wheels contacting said other side of said track surface at contact areas spaced longitudinally of said trAck on either side of the contact area of said drive wheel; resilient means carried by said housing urging said drive and idler wheels into opposing compression contact in relation to each other against said track surfaces; and means pivotally mounting said resilient means with said housing whereby said drive wheel and said idler wheels are resiliently movable in relation to each other and thereby accommodate therebetween both curved and straight portions of said track.
 8. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 in which: said drive wheel is mounted on a fixed rotatable axis within said housing: said pivotal mounting comprises a wobble plate having an elongate slotted opening intermediate its ends with a longitudinal axis of said opening being substantially opposite the axis of said drive wheel; said idler wheels being rotatably mounted on axes at the respective ends of said wobble plate; a fixed pivot pin engaging within said slotted opening; and said resilient means comprises a pair of compression members engaged between the ends of said wobble plate and said housing urging said wobble plate along the axis of said slotted opening toward said drive wheel.
 9. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 including in combination: a track having an outwardly facing track surface formed of permanently yieldable material; and said drive wheel engaging said track surface is provided with a roughened peripheral surface composed of a material sufficiently harder than said track surface whereby rolling contact of said drive wheel therewith produces a conforming deformed roughened surface on said track.
 10. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 7 including in combination; a track having outwardly facing track surfaces formed of permanently yieldable material; and said drive and idler wheels are provided with roughened peripheral surfaces composed of a material sufficiently harder than said track surfaces whereby rolling contact of said wheels therewith produces a conforming deformed roughened nonslip rolling surface on both sides of said track.
 11. A motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 10 in which: the roughened surface of said drive wheel comprises a series of transverse serrations across the curved surface of said drive wheel.
 12. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track member having outwardly facing track surfaces with vertically spaced conductor strips therealong connected to a power source comprising: housing means to contain said assembly for traverse upon said track and having an access opening in the sides and top to receive said track; plate means within said housing and extending across and under said opening and normal to the plane of said track surfaces; a drive wheel supported by said plate means, said drive wheel presenting its peripheral surface at one side of said opening; electric motor drive means supported under said plate means to rotate said drive wheel; pivot means carried by said plate means and diametrically spaced from said drive wheel on the other side of said opening; a wobble plate slideably supported upon said plate means and having an elongated slot between its ends and encompassing said pivot means; the longitudinal axes of said slot being substantially normal to the plane of said track surfaces; a pair of spaced idler wheels carried by said wobble plate on opposite sides of said pivot means and with their peripheral surfaces in a plane spaced opposite to the plane of the peripheral surface of said drive wheel; a pair of compression members mounted between said wobble plate and said housing, and urging said wobble plate against said pivot means; the normal distance between the peripheral surfaces of said drive and idler wheels with said wobble plate against said pivot means being less than the transverse diStance between the outwardly facing track surfaces whereby said track is receivable between the drive and idler wheels against the bias of said compression members; a pair of arcuate spaced sliding contacts carried by said wobble plate; each of said contacts having a portion of its arcuate length biased against one of said conductor strips on said track, in sliding relationship, and the other ends of said contacts being connected to said motor drive.
 13. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 in which: said wobble plate includes spaced walls housing said idler wheels with their peripheries extending beyond the edges of said walls toward one side of said access opening, said elongated slot is provided in said spaced walls to cooperatively receive said pivot means therethrough, a backplate supported by said housing and spaced from said wobble plate, opposed aligned recesses in said backplate and said wobble plate, a pair of compression springs retained between said recesses, an upstanding tab on said plate means and spaced intermediate said springs, and screw means rotatably mounted through said housing engaging said wobble plate and adapted to extend and retract said wobble plate in relation to said track.
 14. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 including: a slotted opening on each side of said housing communicating with said access opening, a pair of finger tabs extending from opposite sides of said wobble plate and through said slotted openings, whereby said wobble plate and idler wheels are movable to a released position from said track.
 15. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 including: a track member having outwardly facing track surfaces formed of permanently yieldable aluminum alloy material, and said drive and idler wheels are composed of steel and have serrated peripheral surfaces harder than said aluminum track surfaces whereby rolling contact of said wheels with said track forms a conforming nonslip rolling surface on both sides of said track.
 16. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 12 in which: said housing means comprises a pair of juxtapositioned housings, joined at conforming edges, and a portion of said edges is adapted to support said plate means intermediate its ends at said juncture.
 17. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly for operation upon and along an elongated track member having outwardly facing track surfaces with vertically spaced conductor strips therealong connected to a power source comprising: housing means having an open top and an access opening through spaced sidewalls to receive said track and a supporting edge along an adjacent intermediate well, plate means within and enclosing said open top of said housing means and engaged by said supporting edge, one end of said plate means having an upstanding tab between said spaced walls and spaced from a wall opposite said supporting edge, the other end of said plate means extending beyond said supporting edge, a clearance opening in said plate means intermediate its end and communicating with the lower interior of said housing, a wobble plate slideably supported upon said plate means over said opening, a motor drive, drive shaft and drive wheel supported within said housing by said wobble plate by fastening means extending through said clearance opening, said drive wheel being mounted above said wobble plate with its periphery extending into said access opening for said track and with said motor drive below said plate means within said housing, the opening in said plate means being around said fastening means and said shaft and the edges of said plate means being clearance spaced from the sidewalls of said housing, a pair of tab members on said wobble plate in a plane between said drive shaft and the peripherY of said wheel on the track side thereof, a tab member on said plate means substantially aligned with said drive shaft, a yieldable support member extending from said housing opposite said tab member, a bifurcated yoke member attached to said support member at its apex and having its ends in a plane on the other side of said drive shaft, said ends being opposite and spaced from the tab members of said wobble plate, compression spring members supported between said opposed tabs, and a pair of idler wheels rotatably carried by said plate member on its extended end outside said housing opposite said access opening and with their peripheral surfaces substantially aligned with and spaced on each side of the peripheral surface of said drive wheel, whereby said drive and idler wheels accommodate therebetween under the bias of said spring members and the clearance opening of said plate means both curved and straight portions of said track in either direction of travel, and electrical contacts carried by said wobble plate and adapted to contact said spaced conductors on said track member.
 18. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 17 in which: said clearance opening in said plate means is essentially circular and the clearance space between said plate means and said housing is linear and dimensionally less than the diametric space of said clearance opening.
 19. A self-contained motor-driven traverse assembly in accordance with claim 18 in which said electrical contacts are arcuate and mounted from said wobble plate in vertically spaced relationship with their arcuate lengths in opposite directions. 